Friday, January 22, 2010

2002 Japanese drama that stars a very young Takizawa Hideaki as Tsugawa Tatsuya,

a tormented child who enters a prestigious college with the sole purpose of getting back at the people he presumes to be the reason for his childhood trauma.

Because it always tends to be about $$$$$ in Japan, you can probably guess, if you haven't seen this one yet, that Tatsuya lost his father to suicide due to creditors and debt incurred by the unsuspecting man, so naturally, the impressionable, young boy is haunted by the memory and thus vows to avenge his late father by going after the evil of society - the wealthy.He befriends the son of the bank that rescinded his father's loan, and because the boy is from good stock, he has a lot of rich friends whom Tatsuya also ensnares in his web of deceit and revenge.He also bumps into a gifted pianist who limps because when she was five, she disobeyed her mama and got hit by a car.

Symbolic ~ so don't forget that part of the story.

One by one, Tatsuya takes down the enemy, leaving them helpless and stunned at the blindsided attempts on their once-happy and pristine lives.Maybe because he's so pretty, it was difficult for these people to really, actually hate him for what he did, I don't know.Then again, I got the impression the writer was trying to get us to sympathize with the rich and make it appear as if the offspring of the wealthy are not at all responsible nor to blame for whatever wicked shit their elders try to pull off in order to get ahead in the world.Who knows.

I wonder, too, why Asians (on film) tend to use waif-like musicians as desirable flowers to be chased after and worshiped.Is it, perhaps, the talent aspect of the career choice that appeals to them, or maybe the refinement of classical music that makes it seem these people are somehow appealing?A gospel choir aside, I have yet to take note of anyone in particular when attending a concert of this variety, much less find the 1st chair violinist or the celebrated concert pianist to be even remotely considered as something sexually enticing.Envied, perhaps; admired, of course - but, desirable? eh

Anyway, the ending was predictable, but not entirely.Personally, I thought it was eerie and unexpected to watch this kid go through the motions of a bad guy while pursuing his dreams and even obtaining them one by one.I suppose the abstract notion of picturing the fallen victims he left behind as he makes his way up the crowded street was supposed to indicate a part 2 or something, but I haven't looked into it yet to know for sure this was the writers intention.